Paper finger for typewriting machines



Oct. 9, 1928. 1,687,208

' F. w. HILLARD PAPER FINGER FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES Filed NOV. 2, 192221 INVENTOR Patented Gets, 1928. 7

FREDERIC W. HILLARD, 0F TOT'IENVILLE, NEW YORK.

PAPER FINGER-FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES.

Application filed November My present invention is in the nature ofacontinuation and improvementof my prlor Patent Number 1,408,003,patented February 28. 1922.

For convenience I have shown my herein devices applied to a modifiedUnderwood typewriter, as in mysaid prior patent. But it will beunderstood that the invention 18 of wide application and capable of useon various models of typewriters, andI accordingly do not intend tolimit it to useon the particular machine which I show. I I

In the drawings, which form apart of this specification:-

Figure l is a plan view of the platen and a. pair of my herein paperfingers, on the platen in normal writing position, and of a fragmentaryportion of the carriage.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the left hand paper finger. contrivance,removed from the machine. It shows, in full lines, the paper guide,which includes the carrying arm an the paper guiding finger, in latchedor locked, normal or set work engaging position. v fhen it is desirableto swing the paper guiding finger from within the. work field, as shownin full lines, it can be swung into its reversed position out of thework field, as shown in dotted lines.

3 is an enlarged view of the left hand paper finger contrivance, as seenwhen the carrier has been swung upwardly and rearwardly on the carriage,about the guide'rod, from the front when the contrivance is in thecarriage; the device being shown, as in Fig. 2, re noved from the guiderod and carriage. This view also shows the paper guide in locked orlatched, normal or set, work holding position on the support, and withthe support moved to position up and further backthan in Fig. 2.

Fig. t is an enlarged side view of the left hand paper finger of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrow on the line t4=-of Fig. paperguide being in its latched or set work engaging position within rkfield. r

5 is a sectional side view of Fig. 2, on 2-2, looking upward in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 2.

6 is a cross section of Fig. 2, looking in ection of the arrow on theline 7 7 of and 5; the cross section of this View "arked by the line 5-5on F ig. 5.

is a detail of Fig. 3, turned at right 0 illustrate the hinge jointbetween 2, 1922. Serial No. 598,653.

the support and the carrying arm, as seen looking down'at the said armand crosswise of the oint; and the figure also shows some of the cooperating parts.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the punched out blank, from which eitherthe right hand or the left hand paper finger support. may be formed,depending on which way the blank is bent up.

It will be obvious from Fig. 7, that the carrying arm 32 and its paperguide, finger 19, the two together constituting the paper guide numbered39 in the drawings, will'be reversed relatively to the platen 21,whenswung'on the hin 'e joint 3031, into the abnormal posi-' tion shownin dotted lines in Fig. 2'; and that wh n so swung, the guide finger19,..which in normal position. conforms to. and faces the platen, asillustrated in Fig. 4, will be curved oppositely to and faced away fromthe'platen.

Referring to Figure '8, the paper finger blank, as punched out comprisesthe connecting bar 10, between the circular yoke bearing perforations11, 11 whichlatter when the ends ofthe bar are bent up, constitute theparallel bearings for the guide rod 12. Facing each other in theperforations 11, '11 as punched out, are the slots 13 '13 disposed, whenthe ends are bent up, to take in the usual pin 14: (Fig. 4), which isspring pressed into slot 15 of guide rod 12, by the usual bow spring 16.Each of the paper finger supports or carriers 17' and 18, which are thusnumbered respectively as entities, are provided with the usual pin 14and spring 16, to spring press the paper guide fingers 19 and theirguide rollers 20, to the platen 21, to press the work sheets to theplaten to a point considerably abovethe printing line, to insure goodtype' written work. 7

' All of the foregoing parts are of the same character as in my saidprior patent, and

substantially similar thereto, excepting the,

blank shown in Fig. 8, so that I have described them but briefly. Theblank punching is different from my support. in said patent,constituting when formed up, a one part carrier instead of the two partsupport of the, patent. In making the present blank I also provide theconvex expansions 22, 22, one at each edge of each end of the bar 10,the center lines of the double convex portions at each end of the bar10, being respec i'vely on the lines 6-6 and 7-7 on Fig. 8. The blank isbent up at the lines 66 and 7 to form the supports or carriers 17 and18, as shown in Fig. 1, being bent in one direction to form the lefthand support 17 and in the reverse direction to form the right handsupport 18.- l have marked the'lines 66 and 77 on Figs. 2, 3 and 5 toindicate the lines of bending up of support 17, and the support 18 issimilarly bent on, the same lines in the reverse direction, as markedon 1. The blank is preferably a sheet metal one, punched out of sheetsteel.

1 so form my bending die that when the punch crowds the blank 10 downinto the die, to bend it into the carrier 17 or 18, both of the convexexpansions 22, 22 at both ends of the connecting bar 10, will be crowdedupwardly and inwardly between the opposite edges of the punch and theinner side walls ot the die, forming the flat convex portions in theblank into the reinforcing flanges 23, 23 on the opposite edges at eachend of the bar 10,

as is clearly shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6. 'Tl ese flanges are not onlyraised in a direction vertical to bar 10, as clearly shown in Figures 2and 5, but the punch is so formed and is of such size, as to force themetal to flow inwardly, into thickened portions, preferably inc'oncavely curved form, as clearly shown at 242, 24 in Fig. 6. Alsowhile the unbent convex portions at each end 01": the bar 10 in theblank shown in Fig. 8, are much wider than the intervening centralportion of the bar; when the blank is bent up into the carriers 17 and18, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, such end portions have been reduced tosubstantially the same width as the said central'portion.

This results in getting the stock of the widened portions of the blankup into the flanges of the supports 17 and. 1S and out of the way of thework sheets and platen when the supports are mounted in their workingpositions and swung about the guide rod 12 on the carriage of themachine; and at the same time of still preserving the full strength ofsaid convex projections, as punched out (Fig. 8), when bent up into thefinished supports. This getting the widened stock out of the way, is ofimportance since there is but little room between the bar 10 and theplaten 21, in the normal position of the device, as shown in Fig. 4;,and there is still less room while the support is being swung about theguide rod 12, to lift the paper guide to ele vated position to releasethe work sheets, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Also on the rear edge of the device, there is but a limited amount ofroom for the in sertion of the work sheets between the platen and theusual paper apron (not shown), so that if the convex curved. portions22, 22, of Fig. 8, were left protruding rearwardly in the bent upsupports, they would be apt to catch on the work sheets, while thelatter were being inserted. on the platen. All of these objections areobviated, while still preserving the full strength of the convexextensions of the blank, or even increasing it, by drawing the metalupwardly within the side walls or the die and forcing the metal to flowinwardh; from both edges of the bar 10, due

to the relative size and shape of the punch ano die. Therefore, insteadof the sharp, right angled bends extending entirely across the bar 10,at the lines 66 and 77, such sharp, right angled bends extend across thecentral portion only of the barin my herein devices; and toward eachedge there is a thickened body of metal, resulting in great strength andrigidity at the lines of bend 6-6 and 7 1 find in practice that myherein flanges, above described, completely overcome the difficultywhile at the same time enabling me to employ an equally strong singlepart car rier herein. This very materially simplifies the hereincontrivances and reduces their cost.

Hence my present invention, sul ituting my reinforcing flanges in placeof the reinforcing bracket of the prior patent, constitutes an importantimprovement over the in vention of said patent. Referring to Figure 8,the blank has also punched therein the four holes 25. for fastening thelatch, or locking spring, or latch spring 26, and the'banking stop 27 tothe support plate or carrier plate 23, as by rivets 29. The blankis alsoprovided two horns which are curled up to term the two outer members 30of the hinge joint between the plate 28 and the'carryingarm 32, thecarrying arm being provided with the intermediate curled member 31 ofthe joint.

The carrying arm is also provided with a device 33 for the latch tonormally catch into. This device may be termed the catch device or thelatch finger or the locking finger; and the latch 26 acts upon latchfinger 33, to normally snap over and spring press the carrying arm downagainst the banking stop 27, the latch thus acting as the second memberof the latching device, the locking finger as above describedconstituting the first or other member thereof. The spring 26 is alsoprovided.

with the thumb piece 34. By bending the banking end of the stop 27upwardly or clownwardly, (Fig. 3) or the upper portion of the stop,above the top rivet 29. outwardly away "from its position against plate28, as shown in the drawing, its relation to carrying arm 32 will bevaried, so that the set or work holding position of the carrying armrelatively to plate 28, will also be changed. Such adjustment serves toparallel the axes of rollers 20 with-each other and with the axis of theplaten shaft 35, and it is useful for other purposes which do notrequire mention; the ad justment being of importance in connection withthe paper teed.

When it is desired to re-lock the paper linger devices. or to restorethe carrying armto its set position on the support, after it has beenswung out of the work field, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,all'thatis necessary to be done is to swing the carrying arms back intothe work field, or toward each other, until they collide with thebanking stops in the latched set ositionof the arts; In thisre turnmovement the latch spring 26 yielding ly permits the return of thefinger 33 and then automatically snapsover the catch, which is formed topermit such operation, thus forcing the arm 32 against stop 27, in theset position of the paper guide on the carrier or support.

In snapping the carrying arm' against the banking stop, the pressure ofthe spring latch against finger 83, tends to tilt the carrying armrelatively to the pivotal bearing on support plate 28 and this takes upany lcoseness in the pivotal bearing in one direction. But latch 26 alsoexerts a direct inward pressure on catch finger 33 'toward thepivot 10of the insures the required rigidity in the bearings and at the sametime permits of a'moderate looseness in the unlocked condition of thedevices. The former is of great importance in securing the best controlof the work sheets at the platen, and the latter is very desirable sothat the devices can swing freely and easily into the unlocked positionof: the paper fingers. v

While the looseness in the bearing is thus taken up in two directions atthe end next the locking finger 33, it is taken up at the other end'bythe engagement of arm 32'with the banking stop 2'7 and the. pressure ofthe spring latch 26 on the carrying arm, pushing the arm forciblyagainst the banking stop. It will be notedthatthe latch 2-6 engages withthe edge of the upper surface only of the carrying arm 32, while thebanking stop 27 engages with the lower surface only thereof. The setposition of the paper guides is the one wherein the carrying arm engageswith the banking stop, with the latch hooked over the locking finger 33of the carrying arm. Hence the set position of the paper guide '39 isdetermined by the position and adjustment of the banking stop 27, theupper end of which may be bent up or down for the purpose of bringingthe paper guide into the desired set position.

The paper guiding fingers and their rollers :20 are normally springpressed to the platen by the bow springs 16, spring pressed pins 1% andthe slots 13 of the supports and 15 of the guide rod 12, as usual. Suchspring pressure on the paper guiding fingers and this is a mere matterof convenience.

rollers tendsto swing the carrying arms 32 forwardly of the platen andto unlatch the spring 26 from the catch-finger 33. But the pressure ofthe spring latch 26 is sufficient to resistand overcome such unlatchingtendency. Thus the s'prings26fact as effective locks to hold the paperguides in'their set positions. The engaging faces of the spring latchesE26are, however, preferably inclined relatively to the direction of theswinging movement ofthe fingers 33 with which they engage, so thatthepaper fingers can be pulled open by hand, if so desired.

My present contrivance is to insure that the locks may safel beunlatchedby adirect moderate pull on the free ends of the carrying arms,without pressing on the thumb pieces and'without any liability ofbreaking the latches. In my presentcontrivance, an ample curve isprovided in the spring 26, to' take in the catch finger 33, and the face41 of the latch, which engages with the latch finger,is inclinedrelatively to the direction of the swinging movement of the finger aboutthe pivot 40' on the carrier. Hence inlthe present device theunlockingcan be readily. and safelyaccomplished, as above described by adirect pull on the free ends ofthe carrying arms, and at the same timethe paper guide 39 is safely lockedto its carrier17 or '18.

I have shown the banking stop 27, herein as mounted on the supports-17and 18, but

banking stop may obviously be mounted either on the support and engagewith the carrying arm, or be mounted on the carrying arm and engage withthe support or it may be integral with either the support or thecarrying arm and be bent up to engage with the other member. Likewisethe latch may be mounted either on the support or the carrying armand'the catch finger be on the other member. I

I also believe the process to be new and novel, which I have devised'andshow here in, of stamping out of sheet metal a paper finger blank,comprising with the support plate, two yoke bearing'perforations and anintermediate connecting bar, to be bent up at each end to-form the yokedbearings, and of providing at either end of the connecting barprojections inthe blank extending laterally at the edges on the lines ofthe bend; and of so folding the blank into the paper/finger support in adie, as'to crowd'the said laterally The 7 thickened reinforcing portionsat the sides of the bends within the reinforcing flanges. And in thisprocess I do not intend to limit myself to forming such reinforcingflanges at both. ends of the connecting bar, asv shown in the drawings,because the device will be a good, strong paper finger support if thebend at the end of the connecting bar next the support plate only, bethus reinforced? However, I prefer the device as shown in the drawings,provided with reinforcing flanges and inwardly extending thickenedportions gt the bends at both ends of the connecting an. v

I have employed herein various technical terms, such for example, asplate, as applied to the support or carrier, work field, as applied tothe field of the work sheets, springpressure means, as applied to the devices for pressing the paper fingers to the platen, lock, locking meansand locking linger, as applied to the device or members therefor, forlatching the carrier and paper guide together, and the termslongitudinal,

transverse and lateral, as applied to the platen and carriage. These andother technical terms used herein, have the same meaning herein, assimilar terms had in my said prlor Patent Number 1,&O8,003, wherein allsuch terms are fully defined. Therefore, for brevity, instead ofrepeating herein, the definitions there made, I will make reference forsuch definitions to said prior patent.

Having thus described my invention what I claim .as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the platen,-of a twopart paper finger device, one part comprising the paper finger and itscarrying arm and the other part being the support therefor, the carryingarm being hinged to the support in such manner that the paper finger maybe swung on the support into and out of the work field, means forlatching the two parts together in work holding position, such meanscomprising a spring latch and a banking stop on the support, the latchengaging that side only of the carrying arm whereon it canexert itsspring pressure to latch the paper finger in its work holding positionon the support and the banking stop engaging the opposite side of thesaid arm to arrest the arm when it has been brought into its workholding position.

2. 'In a typewriting machine, the combination with the platen, of a twopart paper finger device, one part comprising the paper finger and itscarrying arm and the other part being the support therefor, the carryingarm being hinged tothe support in such manner that the paper finger maybe swung on the support into and out of the work field, means forlatching the two parts together in work holding position, such meanscomprising a spring latch and a banking stop on the sup port, the latchengaging that side only of the carrying arm whereon it can exert itsspring pressure to latch the paper finger in its work holding positionon the support and the banking stop engaging the opposite side of saidarm to arrest the arm when it has been brought into its work holdingposition, the banking end of said stop being bendable to vary the workholding position of the paper finger on the support. a

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the platen, of a paperfinger contrivance comprising a support, a paper guide pivotally mountedthereon, and a device for normally locking said guide to said support inits work holding position, said device. including a banking stop at oneend of said pivotal bearing and a lockingfinger and a spring latch atthe opposite end, tending to tilt the paper guide on the support totighten the bearing in the locked position of the parts.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combina tion with the platen, of apaper'finger con-' trivance comprising a support, a paper guidepivotally mounted thereon, and a device for locking said guide to saidsupport in its work holding position, said device including a bankingstop at one end of said pivotal bear ing and a locking finger and aspring latch at the opposite. end, tending to tilt the paper. guide onthe support to tighten the bearing in the locked position, and means forunlocking the device and for thereby loosening said pivotal bearing.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the platen, of a paperfinger cont-rivance compr1sing a carrier and a paper guide thereon, saidguide being pivotally movable on the carrier lengthwise of the plateninto and out of the work field,,a device to control theset position ofthe paper guide on the carrier, including a spring latch on the carriernormally engaging said guide to move it to said position, and a bankingstop to arrest said movement at said set position.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the platen and apaperfinger carrier, of a laterally swinging paper guide on the carrier,means normally pressing said guide to the platen, a normally operativelock, means for rendering said lock inoperative during the lateralswinging movement of" the guide, and a device for tightening the guideon the. carrier when the lock is operative and whereby the guide is,loosened when the lock becomes inoperative.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the platen, of a paperguide and a support therefor, the support being pivotally mounted toswing said guide transversely of the platen, spring pressure means fornormally swinging the guide to the platen, a jointed connection betweenthe guide and the support, whereby the guide may be moved independentlyon the support, said spring pressure means tending to open the joint,and a ocatch,

ing face on at least one of said engaging devices being inclined to thedirection of 'incven1ent of sald guide, whereby to unlatch the holdingdevices simply by a pull on the paper guide.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the platen, of a paperfinger sup port having a yoked bearing for movement transversely of theplaten, said support being provided with a connecting bar between theyoked bearingsxand with a carrier plate extending forwardly from one ofsaid bearings, and reinforcing flanges and inwardly extendingthickenedportions, on each edge of said bar at the bend between the bar and thebent upyoked bearing having the carrier plate.

Signed by'me at Tottenville, New York, this 12thday of April, 1922.

FREDERIC HILLARD.

